Worship With A Heart Like God Series

WORSHIP WITH A HEART LIKE GOD

Part 2 in series, “LifeSongs*: Lives of Worship”

Rev. Todd G. Leupold Perth Bible Church Sunday January 20, 2008 AM

* Title inspired by the name of the song and album by “Casting Crowns.”

INTRODUCTION1:

A.W. Tozer: “The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all.” (The Pursuit of God, pp. 17-18)

Tom Kraeuter: “We can become so interested in doing things ’right’ to get the ’right’ response from the people that miss the whole point – worshiping God.” (“Worship Is a Verb,” Psalmist, Feb.-Mar. 1192, pg. 25 as quoted on pg. 35 in Worship Evangelism by Sally Morgenthaler)

Last week, we began a new series I’ve entitled “Lifesongs: Lives of Worship.” We began with a reminder of God’s great invitation. This morning, we will look at taking the next step toward living our lives as songs of worship to the LORD by examining what it means to have and worship with a heart like God.

SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 13:13-14

PRAYER

INTRODUCTION2:

Before we look at HOW David had “a heart like God,” we need to take a step back and understand the context. At this point, Saul has been king for 40 yrs. He was the first human king of Israel. You see, when God set them apart as a holy nation and settled them in the Promised Land, the idea was that He would be their mighty King and Judge. But, as time passed, the Israelites noticed how all the nations around them were acclaimed based on the greatness of their human king. King and nation became as one identity and the greatness and reputation of a nation was most based upon that of their king – the ’face’ of the nation. Israel, by contrast, was often looked down upon as inferior and backwards because they had no king, no singular great champion. And, so, the people demanded of God that He give them a human king to rule over them and by whom they could be identified (rather than just a faceless, unseen God). And they didn’t want just any king. It had to be someone who would be imposing, look good, and charismatic. After repeated pleas from the people and rejection of God’s cautions, He gave them what they asked for in Saul.

On the outside, he was everything a people could ever want in a king. But, on the inside, he proved to be shallow, rootless, and self-obsessed. Before long, Saul rejected God’s Word and God’s leadership and focused instead on building his own claims to power, position, wealth and personal security. In the Scripture we have just read together, God declares to Saul that because he has not been faithful and obedient his rule that would have been blessed and eternal is to be miserably taken away and given to one who has what is required on the inside – that is in spirit and in heart. The young, unnoticed shepherd boy from the least tribe in Israel, David.

But didn’t David just prove to be a great sinner himself? Wasn’t he the one who lusted after another man’s wife and then abused his power and influence to commit adultery with her, murder her husband, and then marry her and pretend their child was conceived after the marriage? Wasn’t David the one who took a census of the people against God’s will, thus bringing the judgment of God against them? How is this “a man after God’s own heart”?

The important thing to realize is that David was proclaimed by God Himself as “a man according to His own heart,” not because he was perfect or without sin, but because of how he consistently and relentlessly chose to live before God and in relation to Him despite his own weakness and frailty. David made mistakes, he sinned and disobeyed God, but he recognized it, owned up to, made it up for it, learned from it, grew from it, and didn’t repeat it! David is uniquely honored by God not because of who he is, not because of his greatness, but because of the kind of heart that he had and that ultimately always brought his focus back to a life of worshiping the LORD no matter the circumstances!

This morning, I would like to guide us through a tour of David’s heart – a heart of worship. We will see this primarily through His own Spirit-inspired words and, at the same time, I pray see how any of us may choose to have a heart like a God!

I. A HEART FOR GOD’S GLORY

Psalm 22:22-23